


Patchwork

by Rachael_Rothman



Series: Our Family [2]
Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Big Bro Tadashi, Big Sister Abigail, Ex-Delinquent Cass, F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, General fluff and cuteness, Headcanon, Heart-melting family bonds, Little Baby Hiro, M/M, Mom and Dad Callaghan, Sibling Bonding, Some angst, family!AU, military professor!callaghan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-26 21:38:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2667239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachael_Rothman/pseuds/Rachael_Rothman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert Callaghan and Cass Hamada meet, fall in love... and get married?!<br/>What kind of adventures will this patchwork family have?!</p><p>With a famous, scientist/professor Dad, an ex-delinquent, café managing Mom, a beautiful and athletic older sister, an intelligent, handsome older brother, and a introverted, prodigal child (who's skilled in the art of the deadly puppy-eyes)... </p><p>Well, amazing things are bound to happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Patchwork

**Author's Note:**

> SURPRISE!!!  
> Hahaha, here's my newest story- a FAMILY AU!
> 
> I really hope you guys are willing to give this a shot... because I've planned out like 3/4 of the whole story and BIG THINGS are going to happen! Everything will fall into place. ;)  
> This chapter takes place during each respective family's tragedy. The cuteness starts in chapter two, so bear with me everyone! :( 
> 
> I made myself rather sad while writing this.  
> Enjoy~

“ _Please_ ,” The young man whispered, his eyes squeezed painfully shut, bowing low to the doctor despite his rank. Doctor Takahashi gasped in shock, as well as her two assistants. The General _never_ bowed. It was an unofficial, social rule in their society. 

“Just _tell me_.” 

It was not a request- it was an order. 

The doctor gripped her clipboard so tightly, her knuckles faded to white. She couldn’t bring herself to look at his pitiful state. General Robert Callaghan had strode into the hospital exactly ten hours earlier, eagerly asking for his wife and unborn child. A man about to start a new life with his own family. 

Fate had not been in his favour. 

Now, he was about to receive a devastating piece of news that would forever change his life. Takahashi briefly wondered why _she_ had to be the one doing this, and if there was somewhere else she needed to be. 

_Anything_ would be better than this. 

To take on the responsibility of delivering a human life and have one extinguished instead? Cruel, cruel _fucking_ irony. 

“I’m so _sorry_ , General Callaghan… But your wife is—“

Robert Callaghan fell onto his knees, his head in his hands. 

He didn’t want to hear this.  He knew what she was going to say. 

Doctors only apologised when something went wrong. 

Something went wrong. 

_“_ There were a few _complications_ during the procedure…” The words didn’t seem... real. Doctor Takahashi and the hospital seemed far, far away.  Everything felt fuzzy, like a dream... like the first time (as a recruit) he hadn’t managed to avoid a stun-grenade and little white spots occupied his vision for days. 

“Unfortunately, Joan Callaghan has passed away due to extreme fatigue after childbirth.”

And there it was. 

Robert ran his hands through his hair, feeling the cold shock seep into his veins. It was like a slow, cold tidal wave that swept away the warmth in his body. A weight had settled itself heavily onto his heart, and he shivered, exhaling shakily. 

Joan was gone. 

Forever. 

They had only been married for _three_ years, and had just secured citizenships and a nice condominium in San Fransokyo, where he was going to be posted to the nuclear astrophysics division. So many plans, so much _excitement_ about a new life, a new family, all taken away—

“... Your daughter, on the other hand, is perfectly healthy,” Doctor Takahashi continued softly, her hand gently pressed against his back as a sign of comfort. “Joan Callaghan was very happy when we informed her of her daughter’s wellbeing. She passed away with a smile on her face.”

Robert did not reply, his face blank as tears trailed down his cheeks. 

These feelings— both sorrow and joy, conflicted his heart as he struggled to mourn the death of his beloved Joan, and yet cried with relief and happiness that his baby girl was still alive, still breathing, still _okay_. 

“Would you like to see her?” The doctor offered, offering a hand.

The General heisted only for a second, wiping away his tears on his sleeve. He would greet his daughter with a smile, not with tears. Joan wouldn't want to see him like this; they had been so excited to greet their little girl, and he'd be damned if he was going to let this special moment slide in his grief. 

“ _Yes_ ,” He said, clearing his throat. He took Takahashi’s hand and got to his feet, brushing the dirt off his uniform pants. “Please, take me to see my daughter.”

* * *

They arrived at the nursery. It was a long, and organised room, with huge glass windows that ran from one end of the hallway to the other. A few couples and families stood outside the glass, watching the babies excitedly, and Robert felt his heart clench in jealousy. 

He shook his head, pushing away the negative emotions with his mind. 

Joan would not want this. 

Doctor Takahashi led them through the swinging double doors along the left side.  Robert cringed as they entered the room (apparently it had been sound-proofed), the shrill screaming of newborn infants ringing in his ears.

She led him to a little corner, where a small bundle of flushed skin and little tufts of brown hair lay in a little portable crib, sleeping soundly. 

Robert cautiously approached the pink bundle. 

This was not how he had planned on greeting his daughter into their world. He and Joan were supposed to be _together_ , side-by-side as they welcomed Abigail into their lives. Joan would cry and coo at her baby while Robert would take pictures for the family album.  _Their_ family album.

Clearly that was not meant to be. 

He stopped in front of the crib, staring blankly at the baby. _His_ baby, _his_ daughter. She was his… and Joan’s. 

Robert gently reached out to caress his baby on the cheek, expecting her to burst out crying—

Little Abigail immediately reached out and gripped her Father’s finger weakly. She stirred, her eyes opening ever so slightly as she smacked her toothless gums, and began to wriggle around in her blanket. 

And almost immediately Abigail had captured Robert’s heart, just like Joan had captured his all those years ago (by flinging a banana split in his face). 

“ _Sh_ , it’s okay, sweetie. Daddy’s here. You’re safe.” He whispered, his eyes sparkling with wonder and love as he looked at his daughter.

Abigail would have nothing but the best— the best education, the best clothes, excellent upbringing; he would see to it that his daughter would grow up safe, loved and happy, just like he knew Joan would have wanted. 

She was his daughter, and his top priority.

They were going to make Joan proud- she would be watching over them, in heaven. 

He smiled, and finally let the emotions flow, a choked sob escaping him. Tears of sorrow, as he grieved for Joan, and joy, as he celebrated the birth of his new baby daughter.

Doctor Takahashi watched the scene by the sidelines, feeling tears well up at the corners of her eyes as she observed this touching scene. Whoever said General Callaghan was a stern and cold man with little human emotion (her co-workers loved to gossip) had been a liar. 

She could tell little Abigail was going to grow up wonderfully under her father’s care. 

And she prayed for them, wishing that this small family would always be happy. 

* * *

 

 

** 14 YEARS LATER  
SAN FRANSOKYO **

* * *

Cass wiped her tears furiously as she slammed the door to her car shut, clutching the strap of her handbag as tightly as her fingers would allow.  Rushing past the hospital staff and patients, she nearly crashed into the front desk as she skidded to a stop, her eyes wide and skin as pale as a sheet. 

“I’m Cassidy Hamada— here to see Chizuo Hamada. He’s my brother— _it’s urgent_!” She yelled desperately at the receptionist, who nearly dropped her pen in shock at Cass' sudden appearance and volume. 

“Ma’am, please  _calm down_! If you’ll just fill in this form—“

“ _FORM_?! _You’re_ the ones who called me about the emergency!!!” She hollered angrily, her fists slamming onto the cold, hard plastic. 

“ _Cassidy-san_?” 

She snapped her head to look at the person who had called her name in her first language. It was an elderly Japanese man — probably a doctor — with a stern look on his face. He was frowning at her, a disapproving look on his face at her violence against the innocent piece of furniture. 

“ _If you’ll please come this way_ ,” He beckoned her closer, away from the frightened receptionist. Usually Cass would have apologised for losing her temper (something she had been trying to keep in check after leaving high school), but right now, she couldn’t bring herself to care. 

He was a strict looking man, with glasses and snowy-white hair. 

His name-tag read _Doctor Akiyama_. 

Cass followed the doctor, her heels making _clacking_ noises on the sterilised floor, her mind going through what the emergency operator had informed her about her brother and sister-in-law’s family. 

“ _They are now undergoing emergency treatment… they were badly injured in the car crash…_ ” And then her mind had gone blank as though she had been switched into auto-pilot, immediately turning her car around, abandoning her blind date and all the traffic laws as she sped towards the hospital (it was a miracle _she_ hadn't gotten into an accident herself). 

Doctor Akiyama led them through a set of doors, away from the general waiting area and diagnosis department.  Everything suddenly became quieter, and she shivered, looking around for people (signs of life) and finding close to none. 

Quiet was _never_ good in a hospital. 

As they approached the end of the hallway, she spotted two police officers and a nurse standing together, worried expressions on their faces. Cass reminded herself that it wasn't her in trouble this time ("Don't run from the _popo_. Act  _natural!_ "). 

They seemed to be discussing something important. 

The elderly doctor gestured for Cass to take a seat on a plastic chair (they were multi-coloured, attached in a row to the wall for visitors) outside the ward at the end of the hallway.

“I am sorry,” He began, in English now. “But I have unfortunate news. Your brother and his wife, Chizuo and Emily Hamada, did not survive the car crash. I will not care to repeat the _details_ ,” He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, both as a show of sympathy and a notion to keep her steady. 

She felt a violent spasm pass through her body as she resisted the urge to throw-up. 

Her big brother was dead. 

Emi-chan was dead. 

They were _gone._  

She shook, feeling the emotion slowly build up in her- and then suddenly, everything was unleashed. 

Cass wailed in agony and covered her face, sobbing loudly as she clutched at her chest, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. The others gave her looks of sympathy as they looked away, unable to bring themselves to intrude on her moment of grieving. 

All except the doctor. 

“I am _not_ finished,” He said, though his voice was slightly more compassionate than it had been before. “There are two survivors— young Tadashi and Hiro Hamada.”

Cass stilled, her heart stuck in her throat. 

Tadashi and Hiro…! 

_ They had been in the car too?! _

“Tadashi-kun is conscious and has only attained minor burns on his right shoulder that will heal in a few months. Hiro-kun is unconscious- due to what we suspect to be a side-effect of the moment of impact, or the stress of the situation. Aside from a few bruises, he is perfectly fine and asleep.” 

She halted in her sobbing, and the doctor stepped back with a relieved look on his face, thinking that she had somewhat calmed herself down- when she suddenly burst out crying, _even louder_ than she before. 

The doctor and his colleague (even the police officers) were _stunned_.

“They’re all right…! Thank god! _Thank god_!” She wept, blowing her nose into her soaked tissue. The obnoxious sound caused the doctor to sigh and rub his temple. He disliked having to deal with overly emotional clients- they always rattled his nerves (he preferred having a nice and quiet work environment, thank you). 

“C-Can I see them?” Cass asked tearfully, leaping to her feet. 

The doctor sighed again... and offered her his handkerchief (he also hated seeing people upset). She took the cloth with a hoarse _thank you_ , and blowed her nose into it and Doctor Akiyama sighed for the third time (his wife wasn’t going to be very willing to wash _that_ off). 

“You can see them, but _please_ be quiet. Hiro-kun is currently asleep— it is his young body’s way of allowing him to rest after this traumatic experience… And Tadashi-kun is very, very tired.” She took his words seriously and nodded, not wanting to agitate her nephews' healing in any way.

They were going through the exact same pain she was... in fact, they were _worse_ off. 

The boys were at a stage where parents were the most important people you _needed_ to survive. They had been such a close-knit family; she had always been a little envious of her brother whenever she visited their little house by the sea. Emi-chan was such an excellent Mom, she was lively and fun to be around, and yet she always knew when to be serious with her boys and teach them the important values of discipline and respect. 

She wished she were more like Emi-chan, sometimes, though her brother often teased that she was too wild to ever settle down and she'd be stuck without her own household until she was fifty. 

How ironic was it that their _children_ were the ones who had their family ripped so cruelly away?

A few more tears escaped her as she pondered this fact.

_Who_ was going to care for young Tadashi and little Hiro?  They were such sweet, sweet children.  They didn’t deserve this. Not now, and not in a thousand years.  

He led her to the door and placed a hand on the metal handle, and slowly pushed it down- swinging it open as slowly and quietly as possible. 

“You have twenty minutes.” 

And he shooed her in, the door clicking shut behind her. 

_ Oh _ _god_.

She inhaled sharply as she saw her nephews— little Hiro lay by the window, his heart-rate monitor beeping slowly and steadily, to ensure he stayed stable throughout his sleep.  He had a bandaged arm and a plaster on his left jaw, but other than that he looked perfectly fine, for which she was thankful for.

On the bed nearer to the door, though...

Tadashi blinked drowsily at Aunt Cass as she walked towards him. She tried not to burst out sobbing at the sight of him— his left shoulder was completely bandaged with gauze, there were scratches on his hands and face and he had this… 

... This look of utter _despair_ in his eyes. 

“ _Hey_ , Aunt Cass,” He croaked. “Are they here?”

“Who, sweetie?” She asked softly, giving him a kiss on the forehead, as gently as possible. She laid her handbag on the nightstand and sat in the chair next to his bed, patting his leg in a comforting manner. 

“Mom and Dad,” Tadashi said, unable to look her in the eye. “Where are they?”

Cass froze. 

She trembled, looking down at the floor as she bit her lip. 

What was she supposed to say to that?

What do you say to a child who _doesn’t know_ — doesn’t know that his parents are _dead_ , gone and never coming back? 

Never coming back. 

There was a heavy silence as Tadashi gauged his Aunt Cass’ reaction. His young, tired but _sharp_ mind picking up on her body language and her conflicted expression. He sucked in a slow breath and gripped his blanket tightly. 

“T... They’re not here, Tadashi,” She said, her voice hoarse. Tears began to flow down her cheeks and she sniffled, wiping them away furiously. “Tadashi, _sweetheart_ —“

“Are they... 'dead'?” He asked, his face oddly vacant as he observed his Aunt's crying. She cursed her own inability to remain calm in her nephew's time of need. “They’re dead, aren’t they? You... don’t have to lie to me, Aunt Cass— I can take it.”

But the moment he uttered those words, the tears began to flow. 

It was the first time she saw Tadashi cry since he had been a toddler. The older brother had always been such a grounded, intelligent young child. He could shrug off scrapes and bruising with a smile, and didn't even flinch while getting his flu shot (she had seen the video Emi-chan had posted on her profile). 

Cass stood up, engulfing her nephew in a gentle hug. 

It was more of a hold than a hug— she didn’t dare apply pressure on his injured body. 

“I’m so, _so_ sorry, sweetie,” She whispered brokenly. “I am _so_ sorry.”

“I-It’s not your fault, Aunt Cass!” He sniffled, his lip wobbly as he tried to keep his voice down, knowing Hiro was asleep. 

She found that amazing about him. 

Tadashi had always been an _excellent_ sibling. And although they had their squabbles (mostly over what _anime_ to watch or who was going to bath first), she had never seen Tadashi attempt to physically hurt Hiro in any way (she had often got into _brawls_ with Chizuo when they had been kids), and always looked out for him, keeping him away from sharp table corners and the kitchen when Emi-chan was cooking (the whole family found this incredible endearing about Tadashi).

As they grieved over the loss of family silently, little Hiro began to stir.  A pained, whining noise escaping his lips as his heart-rate monitor sped up, and she felt Tadashi tense in alarm at the notion. 

“ _Nii-san_ …!” Hiro cried in his sleep, hands reaching out for Tadashi (even in his dreams), his eyes squeezed tightly as little tears began to flow down the toddler's chubby cheeks. It broke her heart, and she was about to get up and tend to him-

Cass yelped in surprise as Tadashi’s blanket was flung aside and the boy practically _flew_ over to his brother, ignoring the pain in his joints and shoulder as he crawled onto Hiro’s (too large for his small body) hospital bed. 

“Sh, _shh_ , Hiro,” He whispered, leaning down and gently ruffling the younger’s hair. “ _Nii-san_ is here, everything is okay…”

She watched, amazed, as Tadashi slowly quelled his brother’s anxiety and brought him back to a peaceful sleep. 

Doctor Akiyama and his assistant (who had flung the door open when they heard the beeper go off), stared silently, deciding there was no need to interfere. 

After his younger brother calmed down, Tadashi slipped off Hiro's bed weakly; he would have fallen onto the cold flooring if Cass hadn’t noticed his body sagging in exhaustion and sprinted over, catching him in her arms. 

She quickly laid him back onto his own bed and tucked him in, showering his face with proud kisses. He giggled, in spite of himself and the events that had transpired, swatting her away playfully. 

Doctor Akiyama watched them with a contemplating look on his face. 

“You’re my _hero_ , Tadashi!” She praised, giving him a pat on the head. “You love Hiro more than anything, don’t you?”

Tadashi nodded, glancing across the room at his younger brother, a flame of determination in his eyes. 

“Dad says we should _always_ treasure our family, and he said I have to look out for Hiro because Hiro is smaller and needs my protection,” At this, he puffed out his chest, attempting to look bigger. “And I will not stop until Hiro is satisfied with my care!” 

She felt the tears coming and gave her nephew a thumbs-up as she dabbed at her face. 

Chizuo would be so proud. 

Cass hoped her brother and dear Emi-chan would always be watching their boys from heaven. They were going to grow up into fine, incredible individuals, just like their parents (it wasn't just a wish, she had a good feeling about these boys). 

Who knows? 

They might even become superheroes and save the world. 

“ _I’m sorry, Cassidy-san_ ,” Doctor Akiyama said softly, walking over placing a hand on her shoulder. “But I’m afraid Tadashi-kun needs his rest. He has had a long day. You can come back and visit them tomorrow.” 

She nodded, still reluctant to leave them, and gave Tadashi one final hug and more kisses on the forehead (“ _Stop_ , Aunt Cass, you’re _slobbering_ me!”) before she walked over to Hiro’s bed, giving him a kiss on the plaster stuck on his jaw (she remembered Emi-chan kissing his _boo boos_ when he had fallen during a family picnic last spring) and one more on his nose for good measure. 

“I’ll be back tomorrow, sweetie,” She promised her nephew. “Try to get some sleep, okay?”

“Okay.” Tadashi replied, though they both knew he probably wouldn’t, and neither would she. 

* * *

“Are you going to take them in?” 

Cass blinked her bloodshot eyes at the sudden question, looking up at the stoic doctor. They were currently his office, where she was filling out the forms required regarding the Hamada family’s medical history (all she really wanted to do was go home and eat some doughnuts). 

“I… I’m not sure.” She said, thinking about her current lifestyle. She worked twelve hours a day, minding the café (with just a single part-timer to help her during rush hours). She didn’t know if the boys would be able to grow-up healthily under her care. 

Would she have time to take them out, spend them with them? Did she have the money? What if she made a mistake? 

“Taking care of children is a hard, and daunting task. Most unmarried women your age have yet to understand the responsibility of raising a child,” He said coldly, his eyes boring into hers. “I understand if you’re incapable of raising those two boys, and I can arranged for them to be sent to a home—“

There was a pause as the doctor gauged Cass' reaction.

He was not disappointed. 

“How,” She began, her fist raised. “ _DARE YOU_!”  She snapped angrily, bringing her fist onto the desk (again).

Doctor Akiyama merely raised an eyebrow, unimpressed at how she had made his documents scatter onto the floor. 

“I am _not_ going to let some government _trash_ take _my_ boys away! I am going to raise them, and they’re going to be healthy and happy— and I am _not_ going to allow _anything_ bad to happen to those boys _ever again_ , _DO YOU HEAR ME_?!” She hollered, having leapt to her feet to glare down at him (though his unimpressed look remained). 

There was an awkward silence as Cass panted angrily, slowly coming down from her rush of anger. 

Doctor Akiyama removed his glasses, cleaning them on his white coat. 

“Yes,” He said, a smug look on his face. “That was all I wanted to hear.”

And she flushed, apologising meekly as she sat back down. She quickly helped him gather the papers and arranged his stationary so it was aligned again (did he have some kind of OCD regarding stationary? Everything was so uniform). 

“Uh, _thank you,_ ” She said, giving him a sheepish smile. 

He crossed his arms. 

“Do _not_ make me regret this decision to give my statement to the agency to support _you_ as their guardian. _All_ parents make mistakes— but a _good_ parent will never give up.” He advised, thinking back to when his son had been going through a rebellious stage. The little brat had wanted to join the _yakuza_ (he nearly had a _heart-attack_ ), but with patience and guidance, young Suzuki Akiyama was now a state prosecutor and married with a family of his own. 

“I _won’t_.” Cass replied firmly, her fists clenched. 

The doctor nodded, and they continued the rest of the procedure in comfortable silence. 

In a week, she would be the official guardian of Tadashi and Hiro Hamada. 

**Author's Note:**

> There will be cute little drabbles about their daily lives as a family, something I felt needed a lot more emphasis in the movie (I wanted to see more cuteness with Aunt Cass and her boys, and it was hard to feel for Professor Callaghan when we only saw one scene with Abigail- she seemed really cool and I wanted to see more of her!).
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed it!  
> Sorry about the copious amounts of angst here, I just needed to establish the general backstory of each family.
> 
> See ya'll next chapter! :*


End file.
